RETROSPECT OF A LEPIDOPTEKIST FOR 1W2. 29 



Retrospect of a Lepidopterist for 1902. 



By LOUIS B. PEOUT, F.E.S.* 



For lepidopterists the year 1902 does not seem to have been a 

 strikingly eventful one as compared with many within their recollec- 

 tion. It will, perhaps, be chietly remembered — at any rate, by the 

 field workers — for its deplorably bad weather during the greater part 

 of the summer months. Low temperatures and absence of sunshine 

 were more notable than actual rainfall, and prolmbly more unfavour- 

 able to some, at least, of the lepidoptera. Undoubtedly, however, 

 there was also plenty of rain, and — if one may judge for all — it was 

 generally at most inopportune times for the collector, and many a pro- 

 mising excursion was marred or abandoned altogether. This being the 

 state of things, it is not surprising to find that lamentations over a 

 " poor season " bulk large in our magazines. 



If one of the principal exciting causes of emigration be the sudden 

 increase of the species in their usual localities, it is hardly to be ex- 

 pected that such a season as that of 1902 will have brought us many 

 immigrants, always assuming that southern Europe and north Africa 

 have shared in the general scarcity of insect life. In any case, I can 

 find but few records of the "casuals" during the year, in marked 

 contrast to 1901, when we Avere congratulating ourselves on a good 

 few of I'iDitia dapliilice, Ki(va)uiesm antiojia, Hipiiotion {C/iocrncaiiipa) 

 nierio, Jh-iopeia jiiilclwlla, &c., and single specimens of Helinjihila 

 {LcHcajiiii} l-albniii and Ln/n'rina (hniinilii, with, perhaps, others equally 

 noteworthy. The year 1902, on the other hand, has given us very few, 

 indeed, of even such frequent occurrents as Ai/rius citmolndi, Maiiibdu 

 atropoa, Sesia stellatarinti, kc. The two species of (nlias appear to be 

 just lingering on in some of our south-eastern localities, but I have 

 heard of no signs of a fresh immignxtion. I have only noticed one record 

 of Euianessa antiopa, seen near Chichestei' {Ent. Rec, xiv., p. 348). 

 Perhaps the most unexpected record was that of a stray specimen of 

 Puli/ijin Hiatus hi/las at Dover, on September 7th, exhibited by its captor, 

 Mr. Sloper, at the Entomological Society of London, and commented 

 upon by the Editor of the Kntuinolniiinfs Itcconl, xiv., p. 354 ; there is 

 no reason to believe that this was otherwise than a purely accidental 

 introduction. By an equally pure accident, no doubt, a specimen of Pajnlio 

 )iiacJiao)i has occurred near Wellington College Station, Berks. In 

 dealing with such records as this, one always has to remember how many 

 breeders of lepidoptera we have in the country, and how often some of 

 the bred specimens escape or are turned loose. The attempted immi- 

 gration of P. rnachaon in 1900 seems to have been quite abortive. I 

 have only noticed a single record of Puntia daj>lidice for 1901, namely, 

 at Brighton {Entom., xxxv., p. 266), where, it will be remembered, 

 more than one occurred in 1901. A few other rarities were recorded 

 in the same number of the Entomologht — namely, Phyii.vna [Deilephila) 

 liroinica at Starcross, Hip/jotion celerio at Emsworth, .Et/eria andreni- 

 funiiia at Glanvilles \Vootton. The capture of the P. liru)uica is inte- 

 resting, in that it was taken in the larval state, which very rarely 

 happens with this species in Britain. One Hi/linrKs (Sjdiin.v) ijinastri 

 has been taken at Winchester {Ent. Jrlec, xiv., p. 243), and, perhaps, 



* Read before the North Loudon Natural History Society, -January 'iTth, 1903. 

 February 15th, 1903. 



